Self-contained recharging device for portable telephone and/or battery and/or protective case

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a recharging device ( 4 ), comprising and consisting of photovoltaic sensors ( 5 ), alveolar lens particles ( 11 ), light energy amplifier ( 6 ), electronic management unit ( 7 ), magnetic counter-weight ( 17 ), steel balls ( 18 ), spring mechanism ( 22 ) with its manual butterfly winder ( 23 ), alternator ( 25 ) and battery ( 2 ), consisting in a single extra flat system, comprising several forms of recharging and in all conditions and all positions, inserted and fixed, matching the shape of the mobile (cellular) portable telephone ( 1 ), or on the protective case ( 21 ), or on a battery ( 2 ) or any other communication means comprising a transmitter-receiver, providing them with autonomy, causing them to operate by delivering voltage and electric current ( 13 ) so as to recharge them, maintain them and enabling them to operate, using daylight ( 10 ), artificial lighting ( 8 ), vibrations ( 20 ), movements ( 19 ) and the spring manual winder.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention includes a device whose purpose is to recharge thebatteries of a mobile (cellular) portable telephone through the use of aphotovoltaic and vibratory device equipped with a management unit and anartificial and natural light energy amplifier and an inertia magneticcounter-weight ball which is sensitive to motion in order to createself-contained power.

BACKGROUND ART

In fact, presently, all the mobile (cellular) portable telephones areequipped with Nickel hybrid metal batteries or Lithium ion batteries orCadmium Nickel batteries rechargeable only on the 220-volt power networkor through the cigarette lighter in vehicles, which, after recharging,provide a few dozen hours of self-contained power.

The device used currently presents several drawbacks:

First, when the mobile (cellular) portable telephone charge is used up,and the batteries' charge is low, communication through the telephone'stransmission-reception is cut. And to recharge it, it is necessary toplug it into the 220-volt power network for several hours, on thecondition that an electrical outlet can be found nearby or that one hasaccess to a vehicle's cigarette lighter or some other means, etc.

Second, if the mobile (cellular) portable telephone user is at sea, inthe countryside or in the mountains, or in a tent in a campground atnight and does not have a source of electricity to recharge thetelephone, he will not be able to use the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone if the batteries' charge is low. In fact, thetransmitter-receiver of the portable telephone needs, during use,continuous direct current voltage delivered by its battery.

Third, the mobile (cellular) portable telephone, after being rechargedon the 220-volt power network or by the cigarette lighter of a car forexample, and when it is put on standby to receive communications, willconsume electrical power and its battery power will be completely usedup after a few dozen hours of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To avoid all those drawbacks, and to facilitate and give morecredibility to the use of mobile (cellular) portable telephones, GSM[Global System Mobile], UMTS [Universal Mobile Telephone System] or anyother means of communication with a transmitter-receiver which enables alink with the telephone network, for users, the purpose of thisinvention is to supply a permanent and self-contained direct currentvoltage using light, vibration and also through the use of a manualspring and electromechanical winder, adaptable to any circumstancewhatsoever.

In fact, this invention uses a device which allows the continuousrecharging of Nickel hybrid metal batteries, Lithium ion batteries orCadmium Nickel batteries for powering or operating, among other things,a mobile cellular portable telephone or a communicationstransmitter-receiver, or a protective telephone case, or a telephonestand, using natural light outside and inside a building (daylight)and/or using the artificial lighting caused by all sorts of lightgenerators such as light bulbs, flashlights, streetlights, neon lights,etc . . . , through a device which consists of photovoltaic sensorswhose face is equipped with an energy amplifier (light amplification)and with an electronic management unit capable of analyzing,automatically guiding the connection of the photovoltaic sensors inseries or in parallel to have either more electric voltage, or moreelectric current, and of distinguishing artificial lighting, caused byall sorts of light generators, from daylight (outside light).

If there is no daylight or artificial light (totally dark night), thatmeans the recharging device will be unable to deliver voltage and anelectric current. In spite of that handicap, the invention in thisrecharging device will make it possible to provide voltage and anelectric current through vibrations or movements caused by anyelectrical, physical, mechanical means, such as the swinging movementcreated by a person walking, a vehicle, train, boat, etc . . . ; throughthe use of a device comprised of a magnetic counter-weight equipped witha steel ball which is sensitive to movements and vibrations or an extraflat spring mechanical winder attached inside the device. The movementcaused by the swinging motion of the steel ball turns around themagnetic counter-weight which, through the electronic management unit,restores continuous electrical energy. In fact, a few minutes ofcontinually moving the telephone, the battery, the case or any means ofcommunication with a transmitter-receiver will recharge the batteries.

It is also possible, without causing vibrations and without moving andwithout causing vibrations of the device attached to a mobile (cellular)portable telephone, a transmitter-receiver, a case, a stand, and stillin a totally dark night, to also produce voltage and an electric currentusing the mechanical spring winder, and the fact of winding it byturning the butterfly winder tightens the spring. If the butterflywinder is manually released, it frees the spring and turns a small extraflat alternator which will recharge the battery by drawing voltage andan electric current. By this fact, these inventions have thecharacteristic of being in the same recharging device and allow themobile (cellular) portable telephone to produce an electric currentthrough light, artificial lighting and vibration and/or the use of awinding mechanism.

If the recharging device is inserted into a protective case, it will beequipped with a rapid connection without a connector due to magneticinduction, which will very easily allow the user to slip the telephoneinto the protective case and the battery of the case device willrecharge and automatically supply the telephone with power through amagnetic induction connector. Thus, the voltage and electric currentwill pass by magnetization between the case and the mobile (cellular)portable telephone. The case will therefore have the characteristic ofrecharging itself and powering the mobile portable telephone just aswell on the dashboard of a vehicle in the daytime, and the inventionalso allows it to recharge itself and supply the telephone with powerwhen the vehicle is travelling on a dark night due to the vibrationscaused by operating the vehicle.

The recharging device of which another desirable feature is its extraflat shape, can be attached in several ways, either on the battery in asingle compact casing for operating among other things the mobile(cellular) portable telephone, which allows the battery to have its ownrecharging device due to the light and vibrations and to become mobile,portable, self-containing and removable.

The preferably extra flat recharging device can also be attached andconnected to the back surface of the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone where the battery compartment is located (cover or hatch);and/or on one or all clear surfaces of the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone and/or attached to a protective case in order to supply,maintain, recharge and operate the mobile (cellular) portable telephoneor any other means of communication with a transmitter-receiver.

But, if the user wants to protect, with a cover or a case, his mobile(cellular) portable telephone or any other means of communication with atransmitter-receiver, by using a case, stand or protective cover, theextra flat recharging device can also be attached and inserted on thecase, stand or protective cover and the connection between the telephoneand the case, for example, so that it will be powered and able tooperate automatically, will be made by an automatic induction connector,as the fact of inserting the telephone into a case, a stand orprotective cover, will allow the mobile (cellular) portable telephone tooperate immediately.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof,especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a front view of a mobile, cellular telephone in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a back view of the telephone of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the telephone of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of components included in the telephone ofFIGS. 1-3;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a battery recharger in combination with thetelephone of FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the telephone of FIGS. 1-4 in combinationwith a protective case; and

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the protective case.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

When the electronic management unit (7) of this recharging device (4)identifies daylight (10)—background outside light—it transforms it intoan electric current (13) through photovoltaic sensors (5) which aresensitive to photons, in order to continuously recharge and under thebest conditions, the Nickel hybrid metal, or Cadmium Nickel or Lithiumion batteries (2) of the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) or theprotective case (21).

The electronic management unit (7) of this device (4) can also identifyweak light caused by artificial lighting (8) inside a building or from alight coming from a light source such as a flashlight (9) and it willtell the light amplifier (6) to amplify the artificial lighting that itreceives, using alveolar lens particles (11), photovoltaic sensors (5)and transform it into an electric current (13) to recharge, with abetter performance, the Nickel hybrid metal or Cadmium Nickel or Lithiumion batteries (2) of the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) or theprotective case (21) so that it then becomes operational.

After the battery (2) recharging is completed, if the artificial and/orsynthetic light (8) is very weak (shadow), the recharging device (4)will be able to supply and maintain the battery charge (2), so that theelectric current (13) consumption of the portable telephone (1), onstandby and waiting, can be totally or partially reduced throughparallelling the device's photovoltaic sensors (5) in order to obtainmore electric current (13). The parallelling is done automatically bythe electronic management unit (7). In fact, each photovoltaic sensorrestores voltage and an electric current (13) as soon as light orartificial lighting (8) is detected. The electronic management unit (7)can automatically, depending on the battery (2) demand, increase thevoltage by putting the recharging device (4) in series. At that precisemoment, there will be little electric current (13); but the electronicmanagement unit (7) will also be able to parallel the photovoltaicsensors (5) and at that precise moment, the electric current (13) willbe higher with less voltage.

Thanks to the inventions, this recharging device (4), the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1), with the protective case (21), isthat much more self-contained as it has its own battery (2) rechargingdevice (4) with an automatic light energy control: “low” light or“bright” light that is detected first by the photovoltaic sensors (5),then managed by the electronic management unit (7) that determineswhether it must amplify the light to restore it in the form of anelectric current (13). The automatic light energy control can beobtained by photovoltaic sensors (5), photodiodes (15), photoresistors(16), etc . . .

The light energy amplification is controlled by the electronicmanagement unit (7), but can also be a mechanical amplification throughthe alveolar lens particles (11) in/and/or the form of micro-beadsembedded and inserted into the photovoltaic sensors (5) to trap daylightor the artificial lighting in order to increase the light radiation, onthe mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) casing, the protective case(21), through the recharging device (4). But the recharging device (4)can also recharge, supply and maintain its own battery (2), the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1), the protective case (21), and as soonas it detects vibrations (20) caused by the swinging movements of aperson walking, a bicycle, a vehicle, a boat, etc . . . through theextra flat magnetic counter-weight (17) whose periphery is equipped witha steel ball (18) which, by turning, creates electrical energy byinduction composed of voltage and an electric current (13) managed bythe electronic management unit (7). The battery recharge can also beperformed by spring mechanisms (22) that are wound manually by handusing a butterfly winder (23), identical to that on a mechanical alarmclock, placed on the recharging device (4). In fact, once the springmechanism (22) is wound, it will cause, by momentum, either the magneticcounter-weight (17) or an extra flat alternator (25) to automaticallygenerate an electric current (13) aimed at enabling the operation,powering, maintaining or recharging the batteries (2) of the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1), the protective case (21) or its ownbattery.

The recharging device (4) can be attached to and inserted on the battery(2), the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1), on a protective case(21) or on any stand and is capable of powering, maintaining andrecharging, without a wire connection, the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone (1), and the battery (2) through an induction connector (24).In fact, once the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) is insertedinto the protective case (21), the power for the telephone (1) will besupplied automatically and by induction (powering by “positive”magnetization and powering by “negative” magnetization) using aninduction connector (24) on the protective case (21).

One or more recharging devices (4) can be attached to and inserted onthe battery (2) of the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1), on themobile (cellular) portable telephone (1), on the protective case (21),on the stand or on any communication system with a transmitter-receiver.

If the electrical current consumption of the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone (1) is significant when it is operating, and if the userwishes to use it, this recharging device (4) will recharge, power andenable it to operate in daylight and/or artificial lighting (8) and byvibration (20), and also by the manual spring mechanism (22). On theother hand, if the electrical consumption of the mobile (cellular)portable telephone (1) is not high, the recharging devices (4) willrecharge, power and enable it to operate either solely by light orsolely by vibration.

The attached plans (plate 1/2 and plate 2/2), provided as indicative andopen-ended examples, make it easy to understand the invention.

FIG. 1 of plate 1/2 is a frontal view of the mobile (cellular) portabletelephone (1) to which is attached, on all the free parts of thetelephone's (1) surface, the recharging device (4) equipment whichconsists of photovoltaic sensors (5), a light amplifier (6), anelectronic management unit (7), alveolar lens particles (11), a magneticcounter-weight (17), steel balls (18), the spring mechanism (22) withits manual butterfly winder (23), the extra flat alternator (25) andbattery (2), connected with the aid of the connector (12).

FIG. 2 of plate 1/2 is a view of the back surface of the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1) to which is attached, on the upper(free surface) of the telephone (1), the recharging device (4) equipmentwhich consists of photovoltaic sensors (5), a light amplifier (6), anelectronic management unit (7), alveolar lens particles (11), a magneticcounter-weight (17), steel balls (18), the spring mechanism (22) withits manual butterfly winder (23), the extra flat alternator (25),connected with the connector (12). On the back surface of the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1), the recharging device (4) equipmentconsisting of photovoltaic sensors (5), a light amplifier (6), anelectronic management unit (7), alveolar lens particles (11), a magneticcounter-weight (17), steel balls (18), connected with the aid of theconnector (12), is attached at the base of the mobile portable telephone(1) on the battery compartment (3).

FIG. 3 of plate 1/2 is a view of either side of the mobile (cellular)portable telephone (1) to which is attached the recharging device (4)equipment consisting of photovoltaic sensors (5), a light amplifier (6),an electronic management unit (7), alveolar lens particles (11), amagnetic counter-weight (17), steel balls (18), the spring mechanism(22) with its manual butterfly winder (23), an extra flat alternator(25), connected with the aid of the connector (12).

FIG. 4 of plate 1/2 is an overall view of how the recharging device (4)for the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) operates. When itreceives daylight (10) (outside) or artificial lighting (8) caused byall types of light generators (14), for example a flashlight (9), therecharging device (4) consisting, in a single case, of the electronicmanagement unit (7) using alveolar lens particles (11) embedded andinserted into the photovoltaic sensors (5), will amplify the artificiallight received from the flashlight (9) through a light energy amplifier(6) which will transform it into an electric current (13) to recharge,power and maintain the Cadmium Nickel or Nickel hybrid metal or Lithiumion battery (2) of the recharging device (4) connected by a connector(12) to the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1). But the device (4)can also be connected by the connector (12) to the battery compartment(3) of the mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1), and when itreceives vibrations (20) or movements (19), they make the steel ball(18) move around the nucleus of the magnetic counter-weight (17) managedby the electronic management unit (7), and are then transformed into anelectric current (13). FIG. 4 also shows an extra flat alternator (25)in the recharging device (4) which will produce an electric current (13)using the spring mechanism (22) activated by the manual butterfly winder(23).

FIG. 5 in plate 1/2 is an overall view of the recharging device (4)which is connected and integrated with the removable battery (2)equipped with a connector (12) or an inductive connector (24) to powerany means of communication using a mobile (cellular) portable telephone.The compact recharging device (4) is composed of photovoltaic sensors(5), alveolar lens particles (11), a light energy amplifier (6), anelectronic management unit (7), a magnetic counter-weight (17), steelballs (18), the spring mechanism (22) with its manual butterfly winder(23), the extra flat alternator (25) and the battery (2), which has thecharacteristic of forming a single recharging device (4) and cantransform daylight (10) and/or artificial light (8) and vibration (20)or a movement (19) into an electric current (13) in order to rechargethe Nickel hybrid metal, Cadmium Nickel or Lithium ion batteries (2)which are removable, adjustable, interchangeable and capable of beingconnected (12) to a mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1).

FIG. 6 in plate 2/2 is an overall view representing the mobile(cellular) portable telephone (1) with or without a recharging device(4) and with or without a battery device (2), being inserted into theprotective case (21) and becoming operational because of the power fromthe device (4) in the protective case (21) connected by a connector (12)or by an inductive connector (24).

FIG. 7 in plate 2/2 is an overall view of a protective case (21) or anyother kind of stand or protective cover to which is attached andinserted the recharging device (4), the connector (12) or the inductiveconnector (24) which is capable of receiving and delivering directcurrent (13) to any type of mobile (cellular) portable telephone (1) orany communication system with a transmitter-receiver.

TELEPHONE (1)

BATTERY (2)

BATTERY COMPARTMENT (3)

RECHARGING DEVICE (4)

PHOTOVOLTAIC SENSORS (5)

LIGHT ENERGY AMPLIFIER (6)

ELECTRONIC MANAGEMENT UNIT (7)

ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING (8)

FLASHLIGHT (9)

DAYLIGHT (10)

ALVEOLAR LENS PARTICLES (11)

CONNECTOR (12)

ELECTRIC CURRENT (13)

LIGHT GENERATORS (14)

PHOTODIODES (15)

PHOTORESISTORS (16)

MAGNETIC COUNTER-WEIGHT (17)

STEEL BALLS (18)

MOVEMENTS (19)

VIBRATIONS (20)

CASE (21)

SPRING MECHANISM (22)

BUTTERFLY WINDER (23)

INDUCTIVE CONNECTOR (24)

EXTRA FLAT ALTERNATOR (25)

What is claimed is:
 1. A portable telephone arrangement comprising atransmitter-receiver, a recharger for accomplishing electric charging,maintaining and powering of a battery pack for the telephonearrangement, said recharger including an optical to electricaltransducer and a mechanical motion to electric transducer.
 2. Theportable telephone arrangement of claim 1 in combination with a case fora portable telephone of the arrangement, the recharger being insertedand attached directly to the case, the telephone fitting into the caseand having an exterior shape matching an interior shape of the case sothat the recharger can accomplish electric charging, maintaining andpowering of the battery pack for the telephone in any position of thetelephone and the case.
 3. The portable telephone arrangement of claim 1wherein the mechanical motion to electric transducer includes a windingmechanism.
 4. The portable telephone arrangement of claim 1 wherein themechanical motion to electric transducer includes magneticcounter-weights having a periphery equipped with a steel ball forcreating electric energy by induction.
 5. The portable telephonearrangement of claim 1 further comprising an electronic management unitfor selectively connecting the recharger in series or parallel inresponse to an indication of the battery pack energy requirements. 6.The portable telephone arrangement of claim 1 wherein the optical toelectric transducer includes electronic and mechanical opticalamplifiers.
 7. The portable telephone arrangement of claim 1 wherein theoptical to electric transducer is arranged to be responsive to sunlightand artificial lighting and is located in a protective case for holdingthe telephone, the case being arranged to enable to telephone to operateand be powered automatically through an inductive connector.
 8. Theportable telephone arrangement of claim 1 wherein the optical toelectric transducer is arranged to be responsive to sunlight andartificial lighting and is located in a protective case for holding thetelephone, the case being arranged to enable to telephone to operate andbe powered automatically through a magnetic current connector.
 9. Theportable telephone arrangement of claim 1 wherein the optical toelectric transducer is arranged to be responsive to sunlight andartificial lighting and is located in a protective case for holding thetelephone, the case being arranged to enable the telephone to operateand be powered automatically through magnetization having the capabilityof making electric and power connections between the telephone and aprotective case in any position.